29th April

Although the Eastern Subalpine Warbler continued to attract a steady stream of weekend listers at Cheyne Weare the main focus of the day was on new possibilities on land and sea. In a freshening southeasterly the sea in particular got lots of attention and returned highlights that included 570 Bar-tailed Godwits, 86 Common Scoter, 52 Whimbrel, 11 Arctic Skuas, 10 Great Skuas, 2 each of Red-throated Diver and Knot, and singles of Great Northern Diver and Teal off the Bill, with a similar selection off Chesil being further padded out with 2 Little Egrets and a Pomarine Skua. An increase in waders and wildfowl was also apparent at Ferrybridge, where totals included 61 Sanderling, 26 Bar-tailed Godwits, 18 Pale-bellied Brent Geese and singles of Grey Plover and Greenshank. A small fall at the Bill included another 200 Willow Warblers, amongst which 10 Whinchats, 6 Redstarts, 3 Turtle Doves and singles of Lapwing and Common Sandpiper provided the best of the variety; elsewhere, the first Spotted Flycatchers of the season were at Avalanche Road (2) and Portland Castle, with a Pied Flycatcher at the former and a Wood Warbler at the latter further additions to the day tally. Visible passage was dominated by an increasing passage of hirundines through the day, with 2 Serins arriving in-off over Chesil at Ferrybridge a further notable highlight.

A lone Rusty-dot Pearl was the night's only immigrant moth at the Obs, but an Early Tooth-stripe was a good local record at Reap Lane and by day a Clouded Yellow was at Bottomcombe; a small south-bound passage of Painted Ladies was evident along and off Chesil during the evening.